Press Release:Freedom from Toxic Fracking Waste: National Rally Day, Sept. 12, 2012 On September 12, 2012 a national coalition of local coordinators and groups in communities across America will hold local, simultaneous rallies throughout the day to help raise public awareness about serious risks to public health, safety, and well-being posed by the millions of gallons of toxic fracking waste continually produced by the shale gas and oil drilling industry.Frackfree AmericaNational CoalitionNews Release:

FREEDOM FROM TOXIC FRACKING WASTE: CONCERNED CITIZENS ANNOUNCE A NATIONAL RALLY DAY

Youngstown, Ohio, August 9, 2012 – NEOGAP (Network for Oil & Gas Accountability & Protection, www.NEOGAP.org ) and Frackfree America National Coalition (www.frackfreeamerica.org ) are coordinating a national grassroots rally day on September 12, 2012 to help raise public awareness of what the groups believe are serious risks to public health, safety, and well-being posed by the millions of gallons of toxic fracking waste continually produced by the shale gas and oil drilling industry.

The title of the September 12th nationwide event is: “Freedom from Toxic Fracking Waste: National Rally Day.”

On September 12, 2012 a national coalition of local coordinators and groups in communities across America will hold simultaneous rallies throughout the day to shine light on the numerous problems associated with toxic fracking waste and its disposal, including its links to earthquakes, spills, and leaks.

According to geologist Susie Beiersdorfer of Frackfree America National Coalition and Frackfree Mahoning Valley, “The public is not being fully or adequately informed of the risks of fracking and related processes to public health and safety and well-being. We are calling for increased transparency and public awareness about the truth of toxic fracking waste, which can contain naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) and numerous toxic chemicals or known carcinogens, like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), that could find their way into drinking water sources or into soil and air via leaks, surface spills near waterways, or well casing failures.”

The groups believe that the rosy picture of drilling for oil and gas painted by slick, expensive radio and television advertisements by the gas and oil industry does not represent the real experiences of many everyday concerned citizens who live near injection wells or along the routes where fracking waste is, or will be, transported and possibly spilled. The groups say that there are too many unanswered questions about fracking waste, partially because gas and oil companies are exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act.

According to the coalition, every newly permitted fracking well will result in millions of gallons of toxic fracking wastewater being created, transported, and disposed of somewhere. Although the fracking waste is frequently referred to by the industry or others as “brine,” “saltwater,” or “produced water,” the groups believe that these euphemistic terms are highly misleading and give the public a false sense of reassurance about the alleged safety of the fracking waste.

“The truth is that the risks imposed by the production, transport, and disposal of toxic fracking waste are creating a serious public health problem. Toxic fracking waste can expose the public to a number of chemical and radioactive carcinogens, neurotoxins, and pulmonary and cardiovascular toxins. Children, whose immune systems are still developing, workers on drill sites, and those handling toxic fracking wastes are especially vulnerable to risks as are persons living or working near drilling sites, along toxic fracking disposal routes or at or near toxic fracking waste injection wells, ” said Vanessa Pesec of NEOGAP.

FANC and NEOGAP cite a Columbus, Ohio news story that illustrates how not knowing the components of fracking waste can put communities and first responders at unnecessary risk. They ask: How can cities and townships effectively prepare for an emergency when they don’t know what the substance is that they are dealing with?

The groups say that even though the following news story is from Columbus, Ohio, the news report is relevant for all of the many states who face the possibility or present reality of fracking, which will result in the need to transport and dispose of waste, thereby increasing the chance for spills and leaks.

See the following highly informative NBC 4 news video and report titled “NBC4 Investigates: What’s In The Drilling Waste Water Traveling Into Ohio?” (5/23/2012).

For media inquiries or for more information on fracking and related processes, toxic fracking waste, or how to coordinate or participate in a local rally, please sign up for free e-mail updates on the NEOGAP and Frackfree America National Coalition websites and/ or contact us by phone, website, Facebook, twitter, or e-mail: